Knicks fall to lowly Kings in overtime, 106-101

NEW YORK — With so many questions dogging the Knicks as they head to the All-Star break, Carmelo Anthony was clear Tuesday of the mission for the final stop before heading off into the unknown.

“We have to win,” Anthony said. “There’s nothing more than that. We have to win.”

It seemed an easy guarantee with the Sacramento Kings arriving at Madison Square Garden, but if the first 52 games have proved anything it’s that there are no gimme’s for the Knicks. With Jimmer Fredette pouring in a career-high 24 points and the Knicks collapsing at the end, they dropped a 106-101 decision in overtime to the Kings, a fitting parting gift for this season as the Knicks go their separate ways.

The Knicks saw the Kings tie the game on a Rudy Gay jumper with 20.8 seconds left and Anthony missed a potential game-winner, misfiring at the buzzer. The Knicks missed on their first six attempts of the overtime session and never led again. Anthony had 36 points and 11 rebounds, but was 0-for-5 in overtime after missing the game-winner in regulation.

Already without J.R. Smith, who was sitting with a fractured cheekbone, the Knicks lost Iman Shumpert early in the second half with a strained left hip flexor. The break comes at an opportune time for the Knicks, in need of a breather - physically and mentally. But it also comes with the knowledge that there are no guarantees this group will be together again.

The coach, Mike Woodson, has been rumored for weeks to be on his last legs, sources indicating he won’t last to the trade deadline.

“I am not thinking about that at this point,” Anthony said. “That has been an ongoing issue, ongoing story. Every day is a new story, so he is still here and that is what we are dealing with.”

But it’s not just the coach. With the Knicks mired in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, no player is safe either as the Knicks approach the Feb. 20 deadline. Of course, Woodson may not know because despite what he would publicly maintain, he has little say at this point with his own status shakier than any players. Asked if he would have a say in personnel moves, Woodson tried to maintain that he remains in the loop.

“I like being the coach,” he said on his weekly radio show Tuesday. “I would like to think that if something goes down, I’m sure they will include me. It’s been that way since I’ve been here and I don’t see that changing. We just have to let it play out and see what happens.”

It was a far different scene last year when Woodson pushed his long-time friend and then general manager Glen Grunwald to fill the roster with veteran players, established in winning traditions. The moves resulted in the Knicks acquiring Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace. But all of them were gone before this season began - as was Grunwald, who was fired just days before the start of the season.

When the Knicks began the season last year Woodson stressed how important it was to fill the roster with veterans and that you just can’t win with youth. While putting together this year’s squad, the Knicks - reportedly on orders from Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan - pushed to add younger players. That meant finding room for Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and even Chris Smith, the younger brother of J.R. Smith. The Knicks dumped the younger Smith and filled his spot with Jeremy Tyler.

But the biggest question is whether the Knicks will - or are already are - entertaining offers for Carmelo Anthony. The team’s star and the only player not underachieving this season, Anthony has already stated that he will opt out of his contract at seasons end. While it’s unlikely he will be moved with Dolan having a close relationship with him, the uncertainly about his future could certainly affect the team’s decision-making process.

“I don’t know,” Anthony said when asked if the Knicks needed to make a trade. “I don’t want to go down that path at this point. Whatever they are thinking, they are thinking. If they do something, they do it. It is up to them, it is out of my hands and we keep it like that.”

The Knicks weren’t helping their security by struggling against a Kings squad that entered the night with a 17-35 record - and was on the back end of back-to-back games after getting beaten up in Cleveland Tuesday.

The Knicks opened up leads of as many as 13 points in the first quarter, but found themselves trailing in the second quarter as Jimmer Fredette hit his first six shots from the field, piling up 13 points in his first four minutes of action. Fredette finally cooled off and the Knicks managed to recover for a 54-48 halftime advantage behind 22 points from Anthony.

They couldn’t shake Sacramento in the third quarter either, missing 13 straight field goal attempts in a span of 6:22 as the Kings cut a 66-55 lead to 69-68 before Anthony drained a three-pointer. The Knicks took just a 74-72 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We can’t go back and get this game,” Woodson said. “We didn’t finish the game. I thought we played well in spurts. Surely not having J.R. and Iman when he left the game, that kind of put us behind a little bit. But I think we still played well enough to have won this game and we just didn’t get it done.”

Knicks fall to lowly Kings in overtime, 106-101

NEW YORK — With so many questions dogging the Knicks as they head to the All-Star break, Carmelo Anthony was clear Tuesday of the mission for the final stop before heading off into the unknown.

“We have to win,” Anthony said. “There’s nothing more than that. We have to win.”

It seemed an easy guarantee with the Sacramento Kings arriving at Madison Square Garden, but if the first 52 games have proved anything it’s that there are no gimme’s for the Knicks. With Jimmer Fredette pouring in a career-high 24 points and the Knicks collapsing at the end, they dropped a 106-101 decision in overtime to the Kings, a fitting parting gift for this season as the Knicks go their separate ways.

The Knicks saw the Kings tie the game on a Rudy Gay jumper with 20.8 seconds left and Anthony missed a potential game-winner, misfiring at the buzzer. The Knicks missed on their first six attempts of the overtime session and never led again. Anthony had 36 points and 11 rebounds, but was 0-for-5 in overtime after missing the game-winner in regulation.

Already without J.R. Smith, who was sitting with a fractured cheekbone, the Knicks lost Iman Shumpert early in the second half with a strained left hip flexor. The break comes at an opportune time for the Knicks, in need of a breather - physically and mentally. But it also comes with the knowledge that there are no guarantees this group will be together again.

The coach, Mike Woodson, has been rumored for weeks to be on his last legs, sources indicating he won’t last to the trade deadline.

“I am not thinking about that at this point,” Anthony said. “That has been an ongoing issue, ongoing story. Every day is a new story, so he is still here and that is what we are dealing with.”

But it’s not just the coach. With the Knicks mired in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, no player is safe either as the Knicks approach the Feb. 20 deadline. Of course, Woodson may not know because despite what he would publicly maintain, he has little say at this point with his own status shakier than any players. Asked if he would have a say in personnel moves, Woodson tried to maintain that he remains in the loop.

“I like being the coach,” he said on his weekly radio show Tuesday. “I would like to think that if something goes down, I’m sure they will include me. It’s been that way since I’ve been here and I don’t see that changing. We just have to let it play out and see what happens.”

It was a far different scene last year when Woodson pushed his long-time friend and then general manager Glen Grunwald to fill the roster with veteran players, established in winning traditions. The moves resulted in the Knicks acquiring Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace. But all of them were gone before this season began - as was Grunwald, who was fired just days before the start of the season.

When the Knicks began the season last year Woodson stressed how important it was to fill the roster with veterans and that you just can’t win with youth. While putting together this year’s squad, the Knicks - reportedly on orders from Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan - pushed to add younger players. That meant finding room for Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and even Chris Smith, the younger brother of J.R. Smith. The Knicks dumped the younger Smith and filled his spot with Jeremy Tyler.

But the biggest question is whether the Knicks will - or are already are - entertaining offers for Carmelo Anthony. The team’s star and the only player not underachieving this season, Anthony has already stated that he will opt out of his contract at seasons end. While it’s unlikely he will be moved with Dolan having a close relationship with him, the uncertainly about his future could certainly affect the team’s decision-making process.

“I don’t know,” Anthony said when asked if the Knicks needed to make a trade. “I don’t want to go down that path at this point. Whatever they are thinking, they are thinking. If they do something, they do it. It is up to them, it is out of my hands and we keep it like that.”

The Knicks weren’t helping their security by struggling against a Kings squad that entered the night with a 17-35 record - and was on the back end of back-to-back games after getting beaten up in Cleveland Tuesday.

The Knicks opened up leads of as many as 13 points in the first quarter, but found themselves trailing in the second quarter as Jimmer Fredette hit his first six shots from the field, piling up 13 points in his first four minutes of action. Fredette finally cooled off and the Knicks managed to recover for a 54-48 halftime advantage behind 22 points from Anthony.

They couldn’t shake Sacramento in the third quarter either, missing 13 straight field goal attempts in a span of 6:22 as the Kings cut a 66-55 lead to 69-68 before Anthony drained a three-pointer. The Knicks took just a 74-72 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We can’t go back and get this game,” Woodson said. “We didn’t finish the game. I thought we played well in spurts. Surely not having J.R. and Iman when he left the game, that kind of put us behind a little bit. But I think we still played well enough to have won this game and we just didn’t get it done.”